Drawer latch



Sept. 21, 1954 c. F. WOLTERS DRAWER LATCH Filed Oct. 6, 1950 INVENTOR JI' alters ORNEY v Patented Sept. 21, 1954 DRAWER LATCH Carl F. Wolters, New Canaan, Conn., assignor to Remington Rand Inc, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application October 6, 1950, Serial No. 188,794

Claims. 1

This invention relates to a drawer latch for filing cabinets and the like and particularly to such latches adapted for use with filing cabinets having drawers in which a latch member on the drawer cooperates with a stationary keeper, mounted on the cabinet and forming a part of the drawer supporting and guiding means, to hold the drawer in closed position.

The invention comprehends a latch mechanism of the type mentioned above in which a very small number of parts are employed and in which the supporting and guiding means for thelatch bar provides means for spacing elements of the drawer structure.

The invention provides a latch mechanism which is simple in construction, occupies a minimum amount of space, is very durable, and is economical to produce.

The invention further provides a latch construction which is readily mounted in place, is easily operated, and is positive in its operation, and a construction of certain drawer elements which increases the rigidity thereof and reduces the space required by a file cabinet in which drawers incorporating the improvements are used. Other advantages of the latch construction of the present invention and the associated drawer and cabinet construction will be perceived from the following description.

.In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, horizontal cross-section through part of a cabinet and file drawer incorporating the latch mechanism of the present invention, taken on the line I -l of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, vertical cross-section of portions of the file drawer and cabinet shown in Fig. 1 from inside the drawer looking toward the front thereof, with portions of the drawer structure removed and the latch mechanism shown in elevation.

Fig. 3 is a partially exploded view in perspective of the latch mechanism of the present invention and the drawer handle associated therewith, a portion of the front panel of the file drawer being shown in dot and dash lines.

In Figs. 1 and 2 numeral Ill designates a file cabinet adapted to receive one or more drawers l2. The cabinet ll] comprises a side panel II and a frame member l3. Each of the drawers I2 comprises a front wall or panel M, an interior cover plate It and side walls [8 which are attached, preferably by welding, to a rearwardly extending flange [5, formed on each side of the front panel I 4. The side walls I8 carry on their outer sides a drawer slide 20 which is adapted to cooperate with suitable, means (not shown) in the cabinet ID for supporting and guiding the drawer on case slide 62 in movement into and out of the said cabinet.

A handle 22 is provided on the outside of the front panel 14 of drawer I2. The ends 24 of the handle 22 are enlarged to form bearing surfaces for contact with the panel l4 and carry screw threaded studs 26 which extend rearwardly from the main portion of the handle 22 and pass through and support a latch guide plate 28 and inner cover plate It, the handle being held in place by nuts 21 on the ends of the threaded studs 26. The front panel 14 is provided at a point opposite handle 22 with a depressed portion 82 which is preferably elliptical in shape. The depression 82 provides clearance for the fingers of a person moving the drawer by means of handle 22 and is of such depth that the flattened bottom 83 thereof, which lies in a plane parallel with the main portion of panel [4, will contact and support the center portion of cover plate l6 when the drawer is assembled.

The latch mechanism of the present invention is carried in the interior of drawer l2 adjacent or on the back of the front panel I4 thereof and comprises four principal partsa guide plate, a latch bar, a spring, and a latch actuator. The guide plate 28 is preferably formed from an elongated piece of sheet metal and comprises a body portion 39 and, located on opposite sides of the depressed portion 82 on the front panel M, a pair of upwardly extending mounting portions or hangers 3|. Each of the upwardly extending hangers 3| is preferably formed integrally with the body portion 3i) and located adjacent the ends thereof. The hangers 3! are preferably offset forwardly of the body portion 20 by longitudinally extending joggles 35 and each is provided with an orifice through which there may pass one of the studs 26 of handle 22 for supporting latch plate 28. The sides and top of hangers 31 are bent rearwardly to form spacer flanges 32. The ends of body portion 31) are also bent rearwardly at right angles to the rest of body portion 30 to form flanges or projections 33 and 34 which are provided with aligned slots 36 and 38, respectively, adapted to receive and guide a horizontally, transversely movable latch bar 40.

The latch bar G0 is preferably formed from a single strip of fiat sheet metal to provide an elongated central portion M which is slidably received within slot 36 of the guide plate 28. The latch bar it at one end of the elongated central portion 32 is provided with a narrow extension 44 which is aligned with the elongated central portion 12 and is preferably formed integrally therewith. The extension 44 is slidably received within the slot 38 in the flange 34. At the other end of the elongated central portion t2, latch bar 49 is bent upwardly and rearwardly as indicated by the numeral 46. A horizontal, rearwardly directed, L-shaped latch 48 is preferably formed integrally with a straight portion 4'! of the bar 60 which extends outwardly from the bent portion 16 in a horizontal plane substantially parallel to the central portion 22 of bar 40.

The latch 43 has a rounded rear face and a forward face 52 which is flat and parallel to the central portion 62 and which is adapted to cooperate with a keeper 55 having a flat rear face 56 and a bevelled or inwardly inclined portion 58. The keeper 5G is preferably integrally formed on a metal strip 55 which is attached by suitable means such as a screw 68 to the inwardly projecting case slide52. The case slide 62 is carried by the cabinet frame member l3 and is formed and mounted in any well-known or suitable man ner to cooperate with the drawer slide and other mechanism (not shown) with which the drawer and cabinet are customarily equipped.

A latch actuator fit is provided to permit movement of the latch bar fit from the outside of the drawer. The latch actuator 56 is preferably formed in one piece and is provided with a vertically extending portion 38, having on its lower end a rearwardly offset vertical flange it which is adapted for mounting on the elongated central portion 42 of the latch bar to by means such as a screw 12. The actuator 66 is rigidly attached to the latch bar ilfl since the bent portion 14 of the latch actuator 55 intermediate the vertical portion 63 and flange it is adapted to rest on the top of the latch bar 46 and thus prevents pivotal.

movement of the latch actuator 66 with respect to the latch bar. An outside trigger or finger T8, horizontally movable and adapted for manual engagement, is connected to the top of the vertical portion 68 of the latch actuator 66 by a. horizontal portion "It which passes through a slot as in the wall of the depressed portion 82 of the front panel I4. The trigger I6 is preferably situated between the handle 22- and the front drawer panel [4 where it will be protected from accidental movement.

A coil spring 84 is provided to bias latch bar 30 and latch 18 in position to engage with the keeper 5@. The spring 84 surrounds the narrow portion M at one end of latch bar 48 with the ends of the spring engaging, respectively, flange 34 of guide plate 28 and the end of the elongated central portion 42 of latch bar 40. Movement of latch bar 49 by spring 84 is limited by the engagement of latch actuator 65 with the wall of the depressed portion 82 of front drawer panel it.

The cover plate It is employed in the interior of the drawer IE to cover the latch mechanism. The cover plate it is formed from a piece of sheet metal of suitable size and comprises a generally fiat portion 86 and forwardly turned flanges 88' on the four sides thereof. The flat portion 86 of the cover plate It is provided with two spacedapart cup-like depressions 90, in which there are perforations to receive the threaded studs 26 of handle 22. A notch 92 is formed in one of the flanges 88, the notch being so disposed and of such size as to pass over the horizontal portion 41' of latch bar 45 In assembling a file drawer with the improved latch mechanism of the present invention latch bar fill} is inserted through a slot 9 3- in flange i5 4 of outer drawer head [2 with the L-shaped latch 48 directed toward the rear of the drawer so that the flat portion 52 thereof faces forwardly. The forward edge of side wall It is notched out, in registry with slot 94, to accommodate insertion of latch bar 30. The bar 40 is then inserted through slot 35 of guide plate 28, Next, spring fit is placed around the narrow portion M of latch bar 40 and the end of portion 44 is passed through slot 38. The trigger it of latch actuator 66 is then passed outwardly through the slot 88 in the front drawer panel [4 and flange ll) of the latch actuator is attached to the elongated central portion 42 of bar 45) adjacent its juncture with the narrow portion M. Following this, handle 22 is placed in position on the front of panel It with threaded studs26 passing through the panel and hangers 3i of guide plate 28. The cover plate it is then placed in position with the cup-like depressions 9E3 opposite threaded studs 26 and with notch 92 in position to pass around latch bar 40.

8%. Movement of the trigger P6 of the latch actuator E56 to the right (as depicted in the drawing) moves latch bar 4!) to which the latch actuator is attached, thus disengaging the integrally formed latch 48 from keeper 54. In so disengaging latch 48, spring 8 is compressed and upon release of trigger it latch bar. 40 will be returned to its normal position by the spring. When the drawer is moved from open to closed position, the rounded portion 5&3 of latch 48. contacts the beveled portion 58 of keeper 54 and islaterally displaced while compressing spring 84'. As soon as flat portion 52 of the latch has passed the end of the inclined portion 58 of the keeper,

the spring returns the latch .to normal position in which the flat faces 52 of the latch and 58 of the keeper are in contact so that drawer I2 will be securely held in closed position.

The drawer latch of the present invention ishighly advantageous for a number of reasons. In the first place, the compactness of the latch mechanism and the fact that all movement. of parts is in a direction transverse of the drawerpermits the cover plate 5- to be-placed-closer tothe front panel M of the drawer l2 than would otherwise be the case. With drawers of the same outside dimensions, the amount of filing space in a drawer equipped with the present latch will, therefore, be greater than that provided in a drawer in which a latch mechanism-is used-which requires space for operative movement longitudinally of the drawer.

In the second place, the cost of manufacturing: drawers equipped with the drawer latch of the.

present invention will bereduced since the latch. employs only a small number of simply formeda parts and since the latch guide plate 28 not; only provides support for the latch bar 40; the

latch: 48,- and mounting means. for thespringa 84, but it also provides, through the. medium of the flanges 3-2, meansfor accurately spacing The studs '26 are then passed through the perforations in depressions 98 andnuts 21 are the cover plate l6 from the front panel I4 and thus simplifies the assembly of the drawers.

The reduction in the overall length of filing cabinets constructed as described herein is important because of the increasing difficulty of providing the necessary space for files in business oil-ices. Accordingly, the counter-sinking or depression of the front panel I4 of the drawer l2 behind the handle 22 is a noteworthy advantage since the handle may consequently extend for a shorter distance beyond the front of the drawer and the overall length of the cabinet may be decreased. This feature together with the increased amount of filing space in a drawer equipped with the latch of the present invention makes the construction herein described most valuable.

It may also be noted that forming the depressions 82 and 90 in the front panel 14 and the cover plate 16, respectively, results in increasing the stiffness of the metal sheets and consequently in stronger construction.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a filing cabinet having a drawer with a front wall and side Walls, means in said cabinet along the sides of said drawer supporting and guiding said drawer for movement into and out of said cabinet, a handle on the front wall of said drawer, a hand-receiving recess in said front wall disposed symmetrically to said handle and a cover plate within said drawer and spaced from the front wall thereof, the combination therewith of a latch guide plate mounted on said front wall of said drawer including spaced slotted projections rearwardly extending therefrom, a latch bar slidably mounted in said slotted projections in said guide plate for horizontal transverse movement, a latch actuator carried by said latch bar and having a horizontal extension parallel to the front wall projecting through a side portion of said recess in said front wall and adapted to be manually engaged, resilient means interposed between said actuator and one of said projections to normally urge said latch bar in one direction, a latch carried by said latch bar and adapted for engagement with a keeper carried by a portion of said drawer supporting and guiding means, threaded 'studs passing through said front panel, said latch guide plate and said cover plate, nuts on said studs, said handle, guide plate, and cover plate being supported by said threaded studs and held in place by said nuts.

2. In a filing cabinet having a drawer with a front wall and side walls, means in said cabinet along the sides of said drawer supporting and guiding said drawer for movement into and out of said cabinet, a handle on the front wall of said drawer, a hand-receiving recess in said front wall disposed symmetrically to said handle, and a cover plate within said drawer and spaced from the front wall thereof, the combination therewith of a latch guide plate mounted on said front wall of said drawer, integrally formed slotted projections rearwardly extending from said guide plate, a latch bar slidably mounted in said slotted projections in said guide plate for horizontal transverse movement, a latch actuator carried by said latch bar and having a horizontal extension parallel to the front wall projecting through a side portion of said recess in said front wall and adapted to be manually engaged, resilient means interposed between said actuator and one of said projections for urging said latch bar in one direction 6 and compressible by movement of said latch bar in the opposite direction, a latch carried by said latch bar and adapted for engagement with a keeper carried by a portion of said drawer supporting and guiding means, threaded studs mounted on said handle and passing through said front wall, said guide plate and said cover plate, nuts on said studs, said guide plate and said cover plate being supported by said threaded studs and held in place by said nuts, and said guide plate having thereon rearwardly projecting flanges disposed adjacent to and cooperable with said threaded studs to position said cover plate in fixed spaced relation from said front wall.

3. In a filing cabinet having a drawer with a front wall and side walls, means in said cabinet along the sides of said drawer supporting and guiding said drawer for movement into and out.

of said cabinet, a handle on the front wall of said drawer, a hand-receiving recess in said front wall disposed symmetrically to said handle and a cover plate within said drawer and spaced from the front wall thereof, the combination therewith of a latch guide plate mounted on said front Wall of said drawer, integrally formed plural flanges and slotted projections rearwardly extending from said guide plate, a latch bar slidably mounted in the slotted projections and spaced from said flanges in said guide plate for horizontal transverse movement, a latch actuator carried by said latch bar and having a horizontal extension parallel to the front wall projecting through a side portion of said recess in said front wall and adapted to be manually engaged, a spring circumjacently disposed on said latch bar between said actuator and one of said slotted projections and adapted to yieldably resist movement of said ltach bar in one direction, a latch on one end of said latch bar adapted for engagement with a keeper carried in a fixed position by said cabinet relative to said latch and said drawer supporting and guiding means, threaded studs attached to said handle and passing through said front wall, said guide plate and said cover plate, nuts on said studs, said guide plate and said cover plate being supported by said threaded studs and held in place by said nuts, and said flanges or said guide plate arranged to cooperate with said studs to position said cover plate in fixed spaced relation from said front wall.

4. In a file cabinet having a drawer witha front wall and side walls, means in said cabinet along the sides of said drawer supporting and guiding said drawer for movement into and out of said cabinet, a handle on the front wall of said drawer, a hand-receiving recess in said front wall disposed symmetrically to said handle and a cover plate within said drawer and spaced from the front wall thereof, the combination therewith of a latch guide plate mounted on said front wall of said drawer, integrally formed rearwardly extending flanges on said guide plate, a pair of spaced rearwardly extending projections integrally formed from said guide plate and spaced from said flanges, aligned vertically disposed slots in said projections, a latch bar slidably mounted in said slots for horizontal transverse movement, a latch actuator carried by said latch bar and having a horizontal extension par-.

allel to the front wall projecting through a side portion of said recess in said front wall and adapted to be horizontally moved by manual engagement, a spring circumjacently mounted on said latch bar and: interposed between said actuator and one of the slotted projections for resiliently resisting movement of said latch bar in one direction, a latch on one end of said latch bar adapted for engagement with a keeper carried by a portion of said drawer supporting and guiding means, threaded studs extending rearwardly from saidhandle and passing through said front wall, said guide plate and said cover plate, nuts on said studs, said guide plate and said cover plate being supported by said threaded studs and held in place by said nuts, and said flanges. on said guide plate being disposed adjacent to said studs. to space said cover plate from said front wall and concurrently position said guide plate supported latch in aligned relation with said keeper.

5.. A drawer latch mechanism adapted to be mounted in a drawer having a front wall and inner cover plate, a handle affixed to said front wall having threaded portions extending through said wall and said cover plate, a de-- pressed recess in said front wall rearwardly extending from said handle, said latch mechanism comprisingv a. guide plate having a. body portion and a pair of upwardly extending hangershaving' apertures therein adapted to receive said'threaded handle portions to position said guide plate between said front wall and said cover plate, the ends of said body portion being turned rearwardly to provide integral projections, slotsin, said projections, a latch bar carried by said: guide plate and having slidable engagement in, said slots, a spring circumjacently mounted on: said latch bar and having engagement with said guide plate for urging said latch bar in one direction, a latch carried. by said latch bar andadapted to engage with a keeper, and a latch actuator attached to said latch bar and having a portion extending to the outside of said drawer through an aperture in said front wall recess; said" latch actuator being manually operable to move said latch bar against the action of said spring, said hangers having rearwardly directed spacing. flanges integrally formed therewith for spacing. said cover plate substantially the depth ,of; said recess from said front wall, whereby said cover plate abuts against said recessed front wall portion and is reinforced thereby.

6. A drawer latch mechanism adapted to be 1 mounted in a drawer having a front wall, a

said guide plate for urging said latch bar in one direction, a latch carried b said latch bar on the other end thereof and adapted to engage with-a keeper, and a latch actuator extending through said front wallrecess and manually operable to move said latch bar against action. of said spring, said hangers having rearwardly directed spacing flanges integrally formed therewith to position said cover plate away from saidfront wall substantially the depth of said. recess, whereby said cover plate abuts against said front 8 wall: recessed: portion and is secured'in spaced parallel. relation with the remainder of said front '7. A drawer latch mechanism adapted to be mounted in a drawer having a front wall, a forwardly extending handle thereon, and an inner cover plate, a. rearwardly extending recess integrally formed in said front wall, said latch mechanism comprising a guide plate having an. elongated body portion and a pair of upwardly extending hangers adapted to receive said recess therebetween, said. hangers having means for supporting said guide plate, the ends of said body portion being turned rearwardly to provide projections, aligned slots in said projections, a latch bar carried by said guide plate and slidably mounted in said slots for horizontal transverse movement', a spring. circumjacently mountedon one end of said latch bar and having engagement with one of said flanges for urging saidv latch. bar in one direction, a latch carried by said latch bar and adapted to engage with. a keeper, and a latch actuator attached to said latch bar and having a portion extending through i an aperture in said front wall recessed portion to the outside of said drawer, said latch actuator being manually operable to move said latch bar against the action of said spring out of engagement with said keeper, said hangers having rearwardly directed spacing flanges integrally formed therewith to space said cover plate away from said front wall substantially the depth of said recess, whereby the cover plate abuts against the recessed portion of the front wall, the remainder of the front wall being secured in spaced relation from said cover plate.

8. In a file drawer having a sheet metal front wall and a handle thereon, the combination of a latch guide plate within said drawer adjacent the front wall thereof, a latch bar carried by said guide plate, a latch on one end of said latch bar adapted for engagement with a keeper, a latch actuator carried by said latch bar and having a: portion extending through said front wall and adapted to be manually engaged, yield-- able means resisting movement of said latch bar in one direction, a cover plate within said drawer,. threaded studs carried by said handle and passing through said front wall, and nuts on saidstuds, said guide plate and said cover plate being, supported on said studs and held in place by said nuts, said guide plate having thereon rear wardly projecting flanges spacing said cover plate from said front wall, and said front wall having a depressed portion contacting and supporting said cover plate.

9. In a file drawer having a sheet metal frontwall and a handle thereon, the combination of a latch guide plate within said drawer adjacentthe front wall thereof, a latch bar'mounted in said guide plate for horizontal transverse movement, alatch on one end of said latch bar adaptedv for engagement with a keeper, a latch actuator carried by said latch bar and having a portion extending through said front wall and adapted to be manually engaged, yieldable means resistrearwardly projecting flanges spacing said cover plate from said front wall, and said front wall having a depressed portion therein adjacent said handle contacting and supporting said cover plate, said depressed portion reinforcing said sheet metal front wall and further providing finger space under said handle.

10. A drawer front and latch for filing cabinets, wherein the cabinet has means mounting a drawer for movement on guide means between open and closed positions, and a keeper is mounted on cabinet carried parts adjacent the front of said cabinet, comprising a front wall on said drawer formed intermediate its edges with a rearwardly offset section having a central portion lying in a plane spaced rearwardly of the plane of said wall, a oovervplate mounted in spaced substantially parallel relation in the rear of said front wall with a central portion engaging the central portion of said offset section, a

guide plate positioned between said front wall and cover having spacer flanges at opposite sides of and cooperating with said offset section in spacing said cover from said front wall, said guide plate having spaced guide flanges on oppositeends extending transversely to said front wall and formed with aligned guide slots, a latch bar extending through said guide slots and slidably supported in said guide projections for movement in a plane substantially parallel to said front wall; said latch bar having one end formed. to provide a latch for engagement with said keeper to retain said drawer in closed position, a spring engaging one of said guide projections at one end having the opposite end secured to 10 said latch bar for normally moving said bar into latching position; a latch actuator having a strip attached to said latch bar, having an intermediate section in spaced parallel relation to said latch bar at the rear of said front wall, extending through a slot in said offset section and having a finger on the free end extending forwardly from the end of said intermediate section for manual engagement in the depression in said front wall formed by said oifset section.

for manual operation of said latch bar, and a drawer handle mounted on said front wall having a handle section extending across said depression in said front wall, embracing said finger and having studs on the ends of said handle section extending transversely through said front wall, guide plate and cover at opposite sides of said offset section with cooperating means on the ends of said studs securing said front wall, guide bracket and cover plate in assembled relation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,476,414 Ohnstrand Dec. 4, 1923 1,934,397 Bales Nov. 4, 1933 1,951,628 Prost Mar. 20, 1934 2,240,524 Smith May 6, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 78,673 Sweden Dec. 5, 1931 340,815 France July 21, 1904 

